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The DU men’s tennis team will play No. 25 ranked Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament this Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

The last time the Pioneers faced the Wolverines they dropped a preseason match 6-3 in the Key Biscayne Invitational.

This time around, the Pioneers are fielding a team that is quite different from the one they played four months ago. DU heads into the regional playoffs with a program best 19-4 record, including eight wins against ranked opponents and a regular season Sun Belt Conference title.

“The guys are really excited to play them because they know what to expect,” said head coach Danny Westerman. “I think they are going to feel really good because they know that they can beat this team and not have to play unbelievable to do so.”

When the NCAA selection committee paired them against Michigan last week, the Pioneers responded with confidence, rather than intimidation.

“When we first played them [Michigan] we didn’t know who we were yet as a team,” said sophomore Yannick Weihs. “We had too much respect for them. Now after the regular season we are confident to play against them because we realize that they are on our level. We still have to play well but there is a great chance for us to win this match.”

If the team upsets Michigan, then they will likely face No. 4 Ohio State, another dangerous team out of Big Ten.

The Pioneers are inexperienced at this time of the year, making only the school’s second NCAA appearance.

They earned a spot in the tournament off an at-large bid and will be competing as a mid-major against a team from one of the most dominant conferences in the nation.

Despite their inexperience at the postseason level and the challenge of facing Michigan, the team is unflinchingly confident that they can succeed.

“We have nothing to lose in any of these matches,” Westerman said.

Maintaining the notion that they are the underdog has enabled the team to remain loose in their preparation over the past two weeks.

The mood of the team is jocular, however when practice starts the attitude is nothing but serious. The players, including junior Andrew Landwerlen, know they have an opportunity to put DU tennis on the national map and they are convinced they have that ability.

“We can beat anybody and we can be beaten by anybody,” said Landwerlen. “If we go out and do what we are supposed to do then we can take down anyone and we can go all the way.”

The teams assuredness can be seen in the way they play—with lots of energy and lots of noise.

“We like to get loud,” Westerman said. “It is not a typical professional tennis match its college tennis. It is very in your face and very loud and exciting.”

Although they enter the postseason as the underdog from a mid-major conference, the Pioneers hope to continue to make lots of noise in the weeks to come.

“We are the underdog right now and if we beat Michigan we’ll most likely have Ohio State who is definitely one of the favorites to win this entire thing,” said Westerman. “But if this last basketball season showed us anything it is that there is the possibility for many upsets and the mid majors are so strong now. The depth of college sports is getting there and we are a mid major but why can’t we be like that Butler team?”

The opportunity is there for the Pioneers, now the question is whether they can handle the pressure.